Vera Therapeutics Launches with $80 Million Series C Financing to Develop Phase 2b Novel Biologic for Kidney Disease

Abingworth

Potential first-in-class disease-modifying biologic in late-stage clinical studiesExperienced executive development team from Gilead Sciences

 

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., January 19, 2021 – Vera Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing treatments for immunological and inflammatory diseases, today announced its launch backed by $80 million Series C financing led by Abingworth LLP. Other investors included Sofinnova Investments, Longitude Capital, Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC, Surveyor Capital (a Citadel company), Octagon Capital, Kleiner Perkins, GV (formerly Google Ventures), and Alexandria Venture Investments.

Proceeds from the financing will support the advancement of Vera’s lead clinical candidate, atacicept, a novel inhibitor of B cells and plasma cells, in patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN). The proceeds will also be used to scale the company’s manufacturing capabilities and expand Vera’s therapeutic pipeline in immunologic and inflammatory disease.

In-licensed from Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, atacicept has been studied previously in autoimmune diseases and shown to reduce autoantibodies in a dose-dependent fashion with once-weekly subcutaneous dosing and has a well-established and acceptable clinical safety profile. New clinical trial results in patients with IgAN presented in 2020 showed that atacicept significantly reduces galactose-deficient immunoglobulin A (Gd-IgA1) – the source of immune complexes that cause disease­ – and proteinuria. Vera is on track to start a Phase 2b study in IgAN patients in mid-2021 and is investing in commercial-scale manufacturing capabilities.

“The strong support of our syndicate reflects strong conviction in Vera’s clinical development experience and the potential of our lead asset to target the source of immune complexes in patients with IgAN and change the standard of care,” said founder and CEO Marshall Fordyce, MD. “Unlike other drugs in development to treat IgAN, a rare disease with no approved treatments, atacicept significantly reduces galactose-deficient immunoglobulin A (Gd-IgA1) – the source of immune complexes that cause disease – at doses with a well-established and acceptable safety profile. Therefore, atacicept may be uniquely positioned to be disease-modifying for these patients with no current treatment options.”

Vera has executive and clinical development teams with deep experience in drug development and commercialization from Gilead Sciences. Joanne Curley, previously Vice President of Project and Portfolio Management, joined as Chief Development Officer; Lauren Frenz, who previously led US marketing of GENVOYA, joined as Chief Business Officer; and Tom Doan, previously Executive Director, Clinical Operations and Therapeutic Area Head, Inflammatory/Respiratory, was appointed Senior Vice President, Clinical Operations.

The Company’s Board of Directors includes Kurt von Emster (Managing Partner, Abingworth), Patrick Enright (Managing Director, Longitude Capital), Maha Katabi (General Partner, Sofinnova Investments), Beth Seidenberg (General Partner, Kleiner Perkins), Scott Morrison (former Partner and U.S. Life Sciences Leader, Ernst & Young), Andrew Cheng (President and CEO, Akero Therapeutics), and Marshall Fordyce (President and CEO, Vera Therapeutics).

“Vera has an outstanding team with track records in successful clinical and commercial development,” said Abingworth’s Managing Partner Kurt von Emster. “Dr. Fordyce brings significant leadership and entrepreneurial experience to this unique opportunity, where we have a clear line-of-sight from a well-validated biologic target to a substantially de-risked drug product, in a disease area that is commercially underserved, presenting a near-term opportunity to demonstrate disease modification for patients with limited options.”

 

About Vera Therapeutics

Vera Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing treatments for immunological and inflammatory diseases. Vera’s mission is to develop and commercialize transformative new therapies that improve patients’ lives. Vera’s lead program is atacicept, a fusion protein that is a dual inhibitor of B lymphocyte stimulator (BLyS) and a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL), which is in development for IgA nephropathy (IgAN), also known as Berger’s disease. Longer-term, the Company is building a pipeline of clinical-stage molecules with the potential to substantially improve lives. For more information please visit: www.veratx.com.

 

About Abingworth
Abingworth is a leading transatlantic life sciences investment firm. Abingworth helps transform cutting-edge science into novel medicines by providing capital and expertise to top calibre management teams building world-class companies. Since 1973, Abingworth has invested in 168 life science companies, leading to 44 M&As and 69 IPOs. Our therapeutic focused investments fall into three categories: seed and early-stage, development stage, and clinical co-development. Abingworth supports its portfolio companies with a team of experienced professionals at offices in London, Menlo Park (California), and Boston. For more info, please visit abingworth.com.

 

About Atacicept

Atacicept is a recombinant fusion protein that contains the soluble TACI receptor that binds to the cytokines B lymphocyte stimulator (BLyS) and a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL). These cytokines are members of the tumor necrosis factor family that promote B-cell survival and autoantibody production associated with certain autoimmune diseases, including IgA nephropathy, also known as Berger’s disease, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Unlike other drugs currently in development for IgAN, atacicept is a novel, disease-modifying agent that is a dual inhibitor of BLyS and APRIL, positioned for best-in-class targeting of B-cells and plasma cells, to reduce autoantibodies, and a well-established and acceptable clinical safety profile. Atacicept also has a proven dose-dependent effect on key biomarkers and clinical markers and a well-established safety profile compared to other drugs in development for IgAN.

 

Media Contact:

Greig Communications, Inc.
Kathy Vincent
(310) 403-8951
kathy@greigcommunications.com

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RAD-x adds Radiologisches Zentrum Lahnstein (RZL) to its group

GIlde Healthcare

Utrecht (the Netherlands) – RAD-x is welcoming Radiologisches Zentrum Lahnstein (“RZL”) in its group.

Radiologisches Zentrum Lahnstein is a provider of diagnostic imaging services in the region Koblenz, Germany. Its three radiologists and almost 30 staff serve the community in and around Lahnstein and provide imaging services to several local hospitals.

RAD-x is pleased to see its Partnership model confirmed by the integration of RZL and expects to further accelerate the growth of its platform structure in 2021.

 

About Gilde Healthcare

Gilde Healthcare is a specialized healthcare investor managing over $1.5 billion across two fund strategies: venture & growth capital and private equity. Gilde Healthcare’s venture & growth capital fund invests in fast growing companies active in digital health, MedTech and therapeutics. The venture & growth companies are based in Europe and North America. For more information, visit the company’s website at www.gildehealthcare.com.

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Capsule Technologies To Be Acquired by Philips

Franciso Partners

Francisco Partners, a leading global investment firm that specializes in partnering with technology and healthcare businesses, announced today the pending sale of Capsule Technologies, Inc. (“Capsule”) to Royal Philips (“Philips”) for $635 million in cash consideration.

Francisco Partners’ investment in Capsule helped support the company’s growth and expansion across medical device integration, patient monitoring, and clinical surveillance solutions. Founded in 1997, the company has grown to serve over 2,800 hospitals and healthcare organizations in 40 countries, impacting over 20 million patients annually.

“It has been a pleasure to partner with Capsule’s management team to help grow this important business,” said Chris Adams, Partner at Francisco Partners. “Capsule is a key enabler of the digital hospital, and we have been especially proud of how impactful it has been in supporting global healthcare organizations with the challenges of COVID-19. The team has delivered exceptional growth through constant customer focus and high-quality service.”

Justin Chen, Principal at Francisco Partners, added, “We are thrilled to have helped the Capsule team build their business. They have been at the forefront of delivering mission critical and innovative healthcare solutions to liberate medical data and improve patient safety. The company is in a tremendous position, and we wish the team continued success as a part of Philips.”

Hemant Goel, CEO of Capsule, said, “Francisco Partners has been a supportive strategic partner over the past few years. Their team has been invaluable, executing on the carveout, providing thought leadership, and investing into the business to help us grow rapidly and build an enduring and strategic position. We are very proud of what the entire Capsule organization and employees have been able to accomplish together. We are excited to join Philips and continue our mission of empowering clinicians with simplified workflows and timely, actionable insights.”

Philips and Capsule are long-term partners jointly offering solutions to healthcare organizations globally. The companies share similar values and ambition to improve patient outcomes. The pending acquisition by Philips will allow both companies to enhance the value they provide to their customers and patients. The transaction is subject to certain closing conditions, including regulatory clearances in relevant jurisdictions outside of the U.S., and is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2021. The company with its leadership team and approximately 300 employees will become part of Philips’ Connected Care segment.

Barclays served as financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal advisor to Capsule Technologies.

About Capsule Technologies

Capsule Technologies is a leading global provider of medical data technologies for hospitals and healthcare organizations. Our Medical Device Information Platform — comprised of device integration, vital signs monitoring, and clinical surveillance solutions — captures streaming clinical data from connected systems and transforms it into context-rich information for clinical documentation, alarm management, patient surveillance, decision support, predictive analytics, clinical research and more. End-to-end data management and connectivity supports better collaboration and communication between clinicians and departments. More than 2,800 global clients leverage our platform to improve patient safety, simplify workflows and raise overall satisfaction throughout the hospital and across care settings. Learn more at www.capsuletech.com.

About Francisco Partners

Francisco Partners is a leading global investment firm that specializes in partnering with technology and technology-enabled businesses. Since its launch more than 20 years ago, Francisco Partners has raised over $24 billion in committed capital and invested in more than 300 technology companies, making it one of the most active and longstanding investors in the technology industry. The firm invests in opportunities where its deep sectoral knowledge and operational expertise can help companies realize their full potential. For more information on Francisco Partners, please visit www.franciscopartners.com.

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Forbion invests USD 2.3M in seed financing of CoviCept Therapeutics, Inc.

Forbion

in company news

Proceeds used to develop small molecule inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 and other RNA viruses

Naarden, The Netherlands, and Munich, Germany, January 19 2021 – Forbion, a leading European life sciences venture capital firm, today announces a $2.3m seed investment in newly formed CoviCept Therapeutics, Inc. (“CoviCept”), a California-based company that is developing a small molecule that inhibits the replication of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) and other RNA viruses.

CoviCept’s lead molecule has a unique mechanism of action that is based on interference of a host cell protein and is therefore expected to have a low risk of viral resistance. It has been demonstrated to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication in a relevant mammalian model at a clinically relevant dose. A manufacturing process for the lead compound has been established and it has demonstrated good bioavailability and safety in humans in phase 1 studies.

CoviCept was founded by Sam Tsimikas, Philip Gordts and Jeffrey Esko, all from the University of California San Diego. The Company’s aim is to initiate a first clinical study in the second half of 2021.

Professor Tsimikas, Co-Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CoviCept, commented: “We are pleased that Forbion has invested in us to support our continued development of a much-needed direct therapeutic option to the COVID-19 pandemic, and other RNA viruses. Forbion will provide the necessary financial and management support to allow the Company to achieve Phase 2 proof of concept data. Forbion’s track record and expertise in supporting the development of early-stage companies make them the ideal partner for CoviCept.”

Sander van Deventer, Operating Partner of Forbion, added: “Our investment in CoviCept is an example of Forbion’s commitment to responsible drug development. RNA viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV-1, MERS-CoV, Ebola, Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika are the most likely cause of future pandemics. A small molecule like CoviCept’s, that can be stockpiled to be immediately available and that could be used in multiple viruses, is of enormous benefit to global health.”

The board of directors of CoviCept will comprise Sam Tsimikas, Philip Gordts, Jeffrey Esko and Sander van Deventer (Forbion).

-Ends-

For more information please contact:
Forbion contact:
Sander van Deventer, Operating Partner
P: +31 (0) 35 699 30 00

Instinctif Partners for Forbion
Melanie Toyne-Sewell/Phillip Marriage
Email: forbion@instinctif.com
P: +44 (0)207 457 2020

Notes to Editors

About Forbion
Forbion is a dedicated life sciences venture capital firm with offices in The Netherlands, Germany and Singapore. Forbion invests in life sciences companies that are active in the (bio-) pharmaceutical space.
Forbion manages well over EUR 1.7 billion across multiple fund strategies that cover all stages of (bio)pharmaceutical drug development. Forbion’s current team consists of 20 life sciences investment professionals that have built an impressive performance track record since the late nineties with successful investments in over 69 companies.

The firm is a signatory to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment. Besides financial objectives, Forbion selects investments that will positively affect the health and well-being of patients.
Its investors include the EIF, through its European Recovery Programme (ERP), LfA, Dutch Venture Initiative (DVI), AMUF and EFSI facilities and KfW Capital through the Programme, “ERP – Venture Capital Fonds investments”. Forbion operates a joint venture with BGV, the manager of seed and early-stage funds, especially focused on Benelux and Germany.

For more information, please visit: www.forbion.com.

About CoviCept Therapeutics, Inc.
CoviCept Therapeutics, Inc. is a newly founded company based in San Diego, USA, focused on the development of a small molecule that inhibits the replication and spread of RNA viruses, including SARS-Cov-2.

CoviCept’s lead program
CoviCept is developing a small molecule that targets a host protein that is critical for RNA viral replication and that has shown efficacy in a preclinical model of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and in cell cultures infected with various RNA viruses including Zika and Dengue. The lead molecule has shown good tolerability, availability and biodistribution in humans.

RNA viruses and pandemics
RNA viruses such as SARS-CoV-1 (“COVID”), SARS-CoV-2 (“SARS”), MERS-CoV (“MERS”), Dengue, Chikungunya, Zika and Ebola, are considered to be the most likely causes of devastating global pandemics. Vaccination strategies can prevent the spread of these viruses and protect individuals but require a significant lead time before implementation and showing efficacy. Hence, a small molecule that can be stockpiled and used to inhibit viral replication of these viruses would be an integral component of the response to pandemics caused by RNA viruses.

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nnouncing vivitide, a New Name With Continuous Commitment to Science Based on Long Experience in the World of Peptides and Antibodies

GARDNER, Mass., January 15, 2021 (Newswire.com) – Delighted to announce the new company name, vivitide unites the vision and capabilities of previously merged New England Peptide and Peptides International under one, joint, global brand.

“Our new company name, vivitide, is a true reflection of our identity and commitment,” said Dr. Diekmann, CEO of vivitide. “We take pride in providing agile and flexible service to our customers, offering a broad suite of peptide and antibody services and products to the life science community. Together with our experienced personnel, outstanding customer care, quality, and service, we ensure our clients experience unparalleled support. Our employees take pride in being part of a vibrant life science community, and we confidently look forward to continued success and achievements for both our customers and us.”

“We have significantly evolved, expanded, and grown our services and portfolio over the past 12 months,” adds Ehab Alramahy, Vice President, Global Marketing and Sales. “Our employees are dedicated and highly motivated to fulfill and excel on behalf of our customers” Alramahy continues. “We have transformed our business processes and invested in both our employees and state-of-the art technology. All this together making it easier than ever for you to work with us.”

“With over 100 employees in North America, we established 24/7 production in our facilities to meet increasing demands in 2020. The company has a strong base for further organic growth, supplemented with future M&A activity, which will be a focus of the company’s executives, and Board of Directors,” adds Dr. Diekmann. “We’ll continue to serve customers worldwide as a leading supplier of peptides and antibodies, which play an important role in the research and development, diagnosis and therapy of diseases, such as diabetes, cancer, and COVID-19.”



About vivitide

vivitide is a global leader in custom peptides, antibody services, and catalog products for the life science and biotech industry. Formed by the merger of New England Peptide (founded 1998) and Peptides International (founded in 1983) in 2019, vivitide is headquartered in Gardner, MA, with significant operations in Louisville, KY. Committed to outstanding quality and customer care, vivitide provides a broad suite of custom peptide synthesis services, custom antibodies, catalog peptides, and biochemicals to academia, pharmaceutical, biotech, and diagnostic companies worldwide.

For more information feel free to visit our website www.vivitide.com, follow us on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/vivitide/ or get in touch with Ehab Alramahy, Vice President Global Marketing and Sales at ealramahy@vivitide.com.

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Forbion portfolio company, NewAmsterdam Pharma completes €160M Series A Funding for Phase 3 Development Program

Forbion

in portfolio news

  • Founding investor Forbion joined by co-lead investors, Morningside Ventures and Ascendant BioCapital, and other leaders in global biopharmaceutical investment
  • Funding will support initiation and finalization of Phase 3 development of obicetrapib, a potent ApoB and LDL-c lowering small molecule drug, intended for patients not well-controlled on statins
  • Earlier seed funding of €20M was provided by Forbion and Founders

Naarden, the Netherlands, and Munich, Germany, January 14 2021 – Forbion, a leading European life sciences venture capital firm, today announces that its portfolio company, NewAmsterdam Pharma (NAP), a clinical stage company focused on the research and development of transformative therapies for cardio-metabolic diseases, has completed an oversubscribed €160M ($196M) Series A funding round.

The financing will support the full Phase 3 development of its ApoB and LDL-c lowering small molecule drug, obicetrapib. The drug, a cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) inhibitor, is being developed for patients who are not well-controlled on statins.

Forbion, NAP’s founding investor, was joined by Morningside Ventures and Ascendant BioCapital as co-lead investors in the Series A financing. Also participating in this funding round were Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, BVF Partners L.P., Population Health Partners, LSP Dementia Fund, Peter Thiel, Janus Henderson Investors, Medpace, GL Capital, JVC Investment Partners, and Presight Capital.

“This is an important milestone in the advancement of obicetrapib and the growth of NewAmsterdam Pharma,” said Michael Davidson, MD, Chief Executive Officer of NewAmsterdam Pharma. “The tremendous support of our investors allows us to initiate a large, Phase 3 development program as we work to create a new option for the millions of high cardiovascular risks patients globally who, despite maximally tolerated statin therapy, require additional LDL-c lowering options.”

“Effectively inhibiting CETP to reduce atherosclerotic risk in patients is something Dr. Davidson and I have been endeavoring to achieve in our field of research for more than two decades,” said John Kastelein, MD, PhD, FESC, chief scientific officer of NewAmsterdam Pharma. “Long term follow up from the 2017 REVEAL study validated CETP as a target to lower LDL-c and reduce major adverse cardiac events (MACE).1 We believe that in obicetrapib, based on clinical studies to date, we have a molecule which is well tolerated and has not shown any of the safety issues of previous CETP inhibitors. Furthermore, based on the surrogate endpoints of the REVEAL study, obicetrapib was shown to be more effective at lowering LDL-c at a 5 mg dose in comparison to a 100 mg dose of anacetrapib.”

Sander Slootweg, Managing Partner at Forbion, said: “We are pleased to see NewAmsterdam Pharma raise such an impressive Series A round so soon after its formation, and we welcome the new investor syndicate on board. This raise will allow NAP’s seasoned management team to deliver a full Phase 3 development program for obicetrapib, exploring its potential in addressing the huge and poorly served patient population at risk of cardiovascular disease who are not well-controlled on statins.”

Two Phase 2b clinical trials for obicetrapib are underway with targeted completion in Q2 2021.
NAP is looking to initiate Phase 3 clinical trials towards the end of this year.

1. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT01252953

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CareMetx, General Atlantic and The Vistria Group Announce Strategic Growth Partnership

General Atlantic

Significant investment from General Atlantic and The Vistria Group positions CareMetx for continued growth in supporting patient access to innovative therapies

CareMetx (or the “Company”), a leading technology-enabled hub services company improving patient access to specialty medications, General Atlantic, a global growth equity firm, and The Vistria Group, a Chicago-based private investment firm, today announced a strategic partnership to further accelerate the Company’s growth. With the transaction, General Atlantic will become the majority owner of CareMetx. The Vistria Group, existing majority shareholder in CareMetx since 2017, will maintain a significant position in the Company by reinvesting through Vistria Fund III, LP. Additionally, Marty Nesbitt, Co-CEO of The Vistria Group, will serve as the Chairman of the Company.

Co-founded in 2011 by Bob Dresing and Mark Hansan, hub services pioneers, CareMetx is leading the transformation of the industry from traditional call center services to a “Digital Hub” which integrates the Company’s proprietary technology platform with award-winning patient and provider support. CareMetx works on behalf of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to help patients and providers navigate reimbursement complexities and will continue to launch new products intended to lower the cost burden for patients on high-cost therapies.

Mark Hansan, President and CEO of CareMetx, said, “With patients continuing to face obstacles, we are excited to have the combined capabilities of General Atlantic and Vistria behind our efforts to scale our platform, invest in our team and bring new capabilities to our clients.”

“CareMetx is a disruptor in pharma commercialization services, differentiated by its focus on leveraging technology and grounded in its commitment to helping patients,” commented Justin Sunshine, Managing Director at General Atlantic. “CareMetx plays a critical role to ensure specialty therapeutics effectively reach the patients who need them, and we look forward to working with Mark and the CareMetx team to further accelerate the Company’s growth.”

“Over the last three years of our partnership, CareMetx has demonstrated its commitment to rethinking and reinventing traditional approaches to hub services,” continued Jon Maschmeyer, Partner at The Vistria Group. “We are proud to continue supporting CareMetx’s growth and welcome the new partnership with General Atlantic.”

“We are honored Vistria has decided to reinvest in CareMetx,” Hansan added. “They have been an outstanding partner that backed two important acquisitions and accelerated our development of new products and services. Now with General Atlantic as a partner, we are confident their years of investment across the healthcare ecosystem will help scale our delivery of real-time transaction processing and services to physician practices struggling to overcome barriers for patients.”

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The Company was advised by Baird and North Point Advisors.

About CareMetx

CareMetx, LLC is a leading technology-enabled hub services platform facilitating patient access to specialty medications. Serving pharmaceutical, biotechnology and device manufacturers, CareMetx leverages digital eServices integrated in a cohesive platform to promote efficiency in the healthcare ecosystem and remove barriers for patients and providers. CareMetx is committed to delivering compassionate advocacy to patients, decision-making data and confidence-building insight to manufacturer clients. Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland and with over 600 employees, CareMetx serves more than 80 brands. Learn more at www.caremetx.com.

About General Atlantic

General Atlantic is a leading global growth equity firm providing capital and strategic support for growth companies. Established in 1980, General Atlantic combines a collaborative global approach, sector specific expertise, a long-term investment horizon and a deep understanding of growth drivers to partner with great entrepreneurs and management teams to build market-leading businesses worldwide. General Atlantic has more than 175 investment professionals based in New York, Amsterdam, Beijing, Greenwich, Hong Kong, Jakarta, London, Mexico City, Mumbai, Munich, Palo Alto, São Paulo, Shanghai and Singapore. For more information on General Atlantic, please visit the website: www.generalatlantic.com.

About The Vistria Group

The Vistria Group is a Chicago-based private investment firm focused on investing in middle market companies in the healthcare, education, and financial services sectors. Vistria’s team is comprised of highly experienced operating partners and private equity executives with proven track records of working with management teams in building innovative, market-leading companies. For more information, please visit www.vistria.com.

Media Contacts

Mary Armstrong & Emily Japlon
General Atlantic media@generalatlantic.com

Beth Dresing
CareMetx edresing@caremetx.com

Kevin Sajdak
The Vistria Group ks@respublicagroup.com

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Ardian and BNP Paribas developpement invest in Proteor, a french leader in external orthopedics

Ardian

13 January 2021 GrowthFrance, Paris

Paris, January 13, 2021 – Proteor, a major player in the manufacture and distribution of prosthetics and orthotics, has chosen to partner with Ardian, a world leading private investment house, and BNP Paribas Développement, the investment arm of BNP Paribas Group.

Through this investment, Ardian and BNP will support the company in the next phase of its development and in the acceleration of its international expansion, particularly in Europe and North America.

Founded more than 100 years ago, Proteor is a family business headquartered in Dijon, Burgundy, France. The company’s core business is in the manufacturing and distribution of orthopedic devices, with the Group providing tailor-made equipment to meet the needs of patients. Proteor employs more than 900 people and generates more than 20% of its turnover abroad, with operations in France, Europe, the United-States, China and Japan.

Proteor’s growth has been possible thanks to a network of more than 70 orthopedic centers in France and across Europe, which are staffed by more than 200 orthopedic professionals.

The company is also active in the design, manufacturing and marketing of components and materials for prosthetics and orthotics. Proteor has sites in Seurre, France and a factory in Tempe, Arizona in the US. The Group is actively engaged in innovation in this field and has filed more than 100 patents since its creation.

The Group has been focused on expansion in recent years. In 2016, it acquired Lecante, a network of orthopedic centers in France, to extend its market coverage and acquire new software expertise for orthoprosthesists), and made a first acquisition in the United-States in. In 2018, Proteor acquired Ability Dynamicswhich enabled it to expand its product offering and strengthen its presence in the US market.

Now, with the backing of Ardian and BNP Paribas Développement, Proteor will be able to accelerate its international expansion by acquiring Freedom Innovation in the US from Otto Bock Healthcare North America. This transaction is in line with Proteor’s long-term strategy and will help further strengthen its components and materials division, its production capacity and its technological know-how, particularly in microprocessor-controlled knees and new-generation ankle and foot prosthetics.

“Ardian and BNP Paribas Développement were instrumental in negotiating and securing the Freedom Innovations acquisition. With their help, we were also able to complete this first capital opening alongside the founding family. This marks the first step in a collaboration that aims to make Proteor one of the world leaders in external orthotics. » said Jean-Fraçois Cantero and Edouard Archambeaud for Proteor.

“Proteor is a French flagship in external orthopedics, which has been able to expand thanks to innovative solutions particularly adapted to patients’ needs. We are pleased to be partnering with the company in this new phase of international development and consolidation of its technological assets and help Proteor become one of the world leaders in its market”, continued Alexis Saada and Frédéric Quéru for Ardian Growth.

“This partnership reinforces a long-standing relationship based on trust with the management and the founding family. We are delighted to support Proteor in pursuing its innovation strategy and in its new phase of international growth.” concluded Gilles Poncet and Guillaume Wolf for BNP Paribas Développement.

 

ABOUT PROTEOR

Proteor is an independent family business, founded over 100 years ago and headquartered in Dijon, France. Proteor operates in the orthotics and prosthetics market with three main business areas: software, components and custom orthopedic devices. Thanks to continuous investments in innovation, numerous medical and scientific partnerships, and daily cooperation with orthoptists, Proteor benefits from recognized expertise in the orthopedic sector.

 

ABOUT ARDIAN

Ardian is a world-leading private investment house with assets of US$103bn managed or advised in Europe, the Americas and Asia. The company is majority-owned by its employees. It keeps entrepreneurship at its heart and focuses on delivering excellent investment performance to its global investor base.
Through its commitment to shared outcomes for all stakeholders, Ardian’s activities fuel individual, corporate and economic growth around the world.
Holding close its core values of excellence, loyalty and entrepreneurship, Ardian maintains a truly global network, with more than 700 employees working from fifteen offices across Europe (Frankfurt, Jersey, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Milan, Paris and Zurich), the Americas (New York, San Francisco and Santiago) and Asia (Beijing, Singapore, Tokyo and Seoul). It manages funds on behalf of around 1,000 clients through five pillars of investment expertise: Fund of Funds, Direct Funds, Infrastructure, Real Estate and Private Debt.
Follow Ardian on Twitter @Ardian

 

ABOUT BNP PARIBAS DEVELOPPEMENT

BNP Paribas Développement, an independent subsidiary of the international banking group BNP Paribas, is a public limited company that has been investing its equity capital directly as a minority shareholder for over 30 years to support the development of high-performance SMEs and ETIs and ensure their sustainability by facilitating their transfer. In addition to the financial resources made available to the company to ensure stable resources, the vocation of BNP Paribas Développement is to support the management team over the long term in carrying out its medium-term strategic projects. Our minority position ensures our partners an adapted governance without interference in the day-to-day management, while benefiting from the strength of a recognized group and the experience of a partner with a portfolio of more than 400 diversified investments.

Participants

  • Ardian

    • Alexis Saada, Frédéric Quéru, Louise Gros
  • Proteor

    • Edouard Archambeaud, Jean-François Cantero
    • M&A advisors: Neuflize OBC (Johanna Guzman, Géraldine Grossiord, Anne Nguyen)
    • Legal advisors: Alcya Conseil (Laurent Simon, Antonin Thel, Jérôme Loisy)
    • Financial advisor: Advance (Olivier Poncin, Arnaud Vergnole, Thomas Recipon, Mehdi Adyel)
  • BNP Paribas Development

    • Gilles Poncet, Guillaume Wolf, Julien Lemaire
    • Legal advisors & audit: McDermott Will & Emery (Diana Hund, Antoine Vergnat, Emmanuelle Turek, Côme de Saint-Vincent, Katya Ascher)
    • Financial audit: Eight Advisory (Christophe Delas, Nicolas Bassi)
    • Arranger: BECM-CIC (Aurélie Stassinet, Nathalie Picard, Corinne Bugaut)
    • BNP Paribas (Stéphanie Bibollet, Antoine de la Taille), LCL (Anne Garrot, Dirk Weinand, Aurélia Bojmal), Banque Populaire BFC (Edwige Lemarchand, Christine Velon, Fabienne Blanc Mondiere)
    • Crédit Agricole (Barbara Kieres Balko, Jean-Christophe Risold, Adrien Bagard)
    • Advisor : De Gaulle, Fleurance & Associés (May Jarjour, Margaux Baratte, Vahan Guevorkian)

PRESS CONTACTS

ARDIAN – Headland

VIKTOR TSVETANOV

VTsvetanov@headlandconsultancy.co.uk +44 207 3435 7469

 

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Robocath successfully carries out Europe’s first remote robotic-assisted coronary angioplasty

Supernova Invest

Rouen, France, January 13, 2021 — Robocath, a company that designs, develops and commercializes cardiovascular robotic systems for the treatment of vascular diseases, today announces the successful completion of the first remote robotic-assisted coronary angioplasty in Europe. The procedure was carried out by Prof. Eric Durand and Prof. Rémi Sabatier at the Rouen Medical Training Center and Caen University Hospital in France – spanning 75 miles (120 km) between the two locations. The procedure is the first of its kind in Europe; it was completed with R-One™, Robocath’s first commercial robotic-assisted platform. This unprecedented achievement opens the door to new options for patients who live in remote areas and require swift treatment to successfully treat cardiovascular diseases.

The procedure was carried out on an animal model on December 8, 2020. Consistent communication between Prof. Sabatier – operating in the Caen University Hospital, and Prof. Durand – based at the Medical Training Center in Rouen, was secured using a variety of tools.

Prof. Rémi Sabatier, Interventional Cardiologist at Caen University Hospital and Associate Professor in Remote Medicine said: “There are still significant disparities in the level of care for cardiovascular diseases depending on where a patient lives. For example, in Europe, 40% of heart attacks are not treated with a coronary angioplasty, even when this is clearly a better option for the patient than fibrinolytic therapy. This is essentially because it takes too long to get to an interventional cardiology center (1). This pioneering robotic procedure, the first in Europe carried out at a distance of over 70 miles, could eventually improve patient care in case of serious cardiac events such as heart attacks and strokes, and save lives. Aside from the technical achievement, it’s been a privilege for me personally to be involved in this first intervention. The equipment provided by Robocath meant that I was perfectly able to communicate with my colleagues in Rouen without a hitch. Operating my tools remotely felt exactly the same as a standard robotic procedure.”

Prof. Eric Durand, Interventional Cardiologist at Rouen University Hospital said: “I’m delighted to have participated in this landmark operation, which has proven that long-distance robotic procedures can be completed safely and securely by qualified caregivers. There are a number of challenges that still need to be overcome before this can become commonplace within this sector, particularly in relation to the required personnel training and legal liability. Nonetheless, I’m convinced that the future of interventional cardiology is robotic and that this remote connection module will speed up growth in this area.”

Bruno Fournier, CTO at Robocath said: “This successful operation is a great proof-of-concept in a number of technical aspects; it demonstrates that a coronary angioplasty can be completed safely between two distant sites. In the long run, our goal is to provide the user with the same level of performance as with an in-person robotic procedure.”

Lucien Goffart, CEO of Robocath said: “Cardiovascular diseases are currently the number one cause of death worldwide. In part, this is due to a number of circumstances which make it hard to improve treatment, such as geographic, structural and economic factors. Ensuring equality of treatment and access to care – regardless of where one lives, is fundamental. Robotic interventional medicine unquestionably represents a reliable response to these major social challenges. Firstly, robotic procedures make vascular intervention safer for the physician, by providing complete protection from X-rays; over the last 15 years, X-ray exposure has had a significant effect on the number of qualified people entering this field. People are less available, less willing to train, because of the health conditions caused by wearing lead equipment. This has resulted in a growing shortage of qualified medical staff. Secondly, remote robotic interventions will provide patients with rapid access to the best treatment by experts, who can operate from a specialist center on a patient located at a smaller ER.”

Philippe Bencteux, President and Founder of Robocath said: “When I founded this company, almost ten years ago, my ambition was to develop robotic solutions for remote treatment in order to improve care for patients suffering from serious heart conditions such as strokes, heart attacks and hemorrhagic shocks. This telerobotic intervention represents a major triumph for public health. It will clear the way for better treatment for a significant majority of the population – who have not had access to it before. Almost twenty years after the first surgery was carried out between two different locations: New York and Strasbourg, I am particularly proud that Robocath has achieved this ‘first’ in remote vascular intervention. It is a key step in developing the field and will soon lead to a new global era in interventional treatment.”

(1) Widimsky P, Wijns W, Fajadet J, et al., Reperfusion therapy for ST elevation acute myocardial infarction in Europe: description of the current situation in 30 countries, Eur Heart J, 2010;31:943–57 ; Grønborg Laut K., Becic Pedersen A., Lash T., and Dalby Kristensen S., Barriers to Implementation of Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Europe, European Cardiology, 2011;7(2):108–12

ABOUT ROBOCATH

Founded in 2009 by Philippe Bencteux, MD, Robocath designs, develops and commercializes robotic solutions to treat cardiovascular diseases. As an active player in the evolving medical robotic industry, these innovative solutions aim to make medical procedures safer thanks to reliable technologies, while complementing manual interventions.

R-One™ is the first solution developed by Robocath. It uses a unique technology that optimizes the safety of robotic-assisted coronary angioplasty. This medical procedure consists of revascularizing the cardiac muscle by inserting one or more implants (stents) into the arteries that supply it with blood. Every 30 seconds, somewhere in the world, this type of procedure is performed. R-One is designed to operate with precision and perform specific movements, creating better interventional conditions. Thanks to its open architecture, R-One is compatible with market-leading devices and cath labs.

In a prospective, randomized, controlled pre-clinical trial, R-One demonstrated safety and efficacy as it achieved 100% technical procedure success and no MACE (major adverse cardiovascular events). R-One received the CE marking in February 2019 and started its clinical application in September 2019. Currently R-One is available in Europe and Africa.

Robocath aims to become the world leader in vascular robotics and develop the remote treatment of vascular emergencies, guaranteeing the best care pathway for all. Based in Rouen, France, Robocath has more than 40 employees.

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Baird Capital Invests in Jumpcode Genomics

Baird Capital

Baird Capital announced today that its venture team has completed an investment in Jumpcode Genomics (“Jumpcode”), a genome technology company focused on improving the understanding of human disease. Joining Baird Capital in the $21 million Series B round of funding was Arboretum Ventures and existing investor LYZZ Capital.

Jumpcode Genomics

Founded in 2016, Jumpcode’s patented technology unlocks the power of next-generation sequencing by improving sensitivity, reducing costs, simplifying workflows and removing bias. Researchers worldwide are using Jumpcode’s CRISPRClean technology in the fields of basic research, infectious disease, oncology and consumer genomics.

“The Jumpcode Genomics team and advisors have a tremendous amount of experience and knowledge in this sector,” said Mike Liang, Partner with Baird Capital. “We believe the underlying technology within Jumpcode has revolutionary applications within the life sciences tools market and within clinical diagnostic applications.”

For the full announcement and additional details on the funding round, a new board member appointment and office and laboratory space expansion, the full press release is available here.

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